Resource Library

In June 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a Final Rule entitled Prohibition on Inclusion of Adverse Information in Consumer Reporting in Cases of Human Trafficking (“the Rule”). The Rule prohibits consumer reporting agencies from reporting adverse credit information resulting from an individual’s human trafficking experience. Federal agencies may authorize non-governmental organizations to provide the documentation that a survivor needs to apply for their adverse information to be blocked (“trafficking documentation”). This Program Instruction (PI) authorizes recipients of grants from the Office on Trafficking in Persons to issue trafficking documentation. This PI also provides information about the Rule and guidance on its implementation.

This Information Memorandum (IM) is directed toward healthcare administrators, procurement professionals, suppliers, and other decisionmakers in the healthcare and public health (HPH) sector who may be positioned to address forced labor concerns in supply chains through product procurement and labor contracting practices. The IM explains how forced labor occurs in HPH supply chains, overviews relevant laws and regulations, and compiles relevant policy guidance and additional resources.

The Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) develops strategies, policies, and programs to prevent human trafficking; builds the capacity of health and human services to respond to human trafficking; increases victim identification and access to services; and strengthens the health and well-being of survivors of human trafficking. Inequity is inherently connected to the root causes and risk factors for human trafficking, including disproportionate impact of housing and economic instability, interpersonal violence and intergenerational trauma, displacement and disconnection from support, and discrimination.  

OTIP furthers the understanding of human trafficking and effective responses in collaboration with communities and individuals with lived expertise that reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those at risk of human trafficking to improve equity within program outcomes. OTIP will identify and implement opportunities to advance equity within programs, policies, and research through data collection, evaluation, and sustained engagement with partners.

This Information Memorandum explains how technology is misused by human traffickers, provides data on the increase in technology-facilitated child trafficking, and notes additional resources.

This infographic illustrates how traffickers leverage technology to exploit individuals for human trafficking and spotlights recent data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline demonstrating the role the internet and social media play in online abuse and human trafficking. 

This tip sheet provides instructions on appropriately responding to human trafficking among individuals from Afghanistan. It includes information on potential warning signs, how to report concerns, and additional resources. 

The What to Know: Municipal Response to Human Trafficking Fact Sheet reflects learning from the Ten/Ten Municipal Fellowship, which were convenings held by the City of Houston Mayor’s Office in collaboration with the Office on Trafficking in Persons through the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center. The fact sheet reflects learning from over 20 different municipalities, including implementing systems-level services, engaging industries impacted by trafficking, raising awareness at scale, and conducting data-informed disaster outreach. The resources and examples provided are intended to serve as a guide to help municipalities across the United States take a proactive approach to human trafficking in their communities.

What to Know: Municipal Response to Human Trafficking  (PDF)

The Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) is responsible for the development of anti-trafficking strategies, policies, and programs to prevent human trafficking, build health and human service capacity to respond to human trafficking, increase victim identification and access to services, and strengthen health and well-being outcomes of trafficking survivors. OTIP advises the Assistant Secretary by providing subject-matter expertise and leadership of ACF’s anti-trafficking activities. OTIP collaborates with federal partners and other stakeholders to raise public awareness, identify research priorities for ACF’s anti-trafficking work, and make policy recommendations to enhance anti-trafficking responses. OTIP operates through three programmatic divisions focused on protection, prevention, and research and policy.

These recommendations and checklist were developed by fellows of Class 7 of the Human Trafficking Leadership Academy (HTLA), a fellowship organized by the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center and Coro Northern California. A team of allied professionals and survivor leaders worked together to respond to the following question: “How can federally funded human trafficking service providers address institutional inequities and barriers to accessing services for survivors of human trafficking? How can these networks improve their response to human trafficking for communities of color?” 
 
The fellows make recommendations on minimum expectations for organizations in the anti-human trafficking movement and related fields who receive funding (at either a local, state, or federal level) for the purpose of providing support and services to human trafficking survivors and communities of color. They are intended to build an organization’s capacity to address institutional inequities and barriers to accessing services for survivors of human trafficking and communities/people of color (POC). The HTLA fellowship is funded by the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) and the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The recommendations and content of this report do not necessarily represent the views of OTIP, OWH, or HHS.

HTLA Class 7 Recommendations Report  (PDF)

HTLA Class 7 Recommendations Checklist  (PDF)

On December 3, 2021, the White House released the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (Action Plan), advancing a comprehensive anti-trafficking agenda by strengthening prevention efforts, protecting individuals who have experienced trafficking through intervention and support, and holding traffickers accountable through prosecution. To effectively combat human trafficking, the Action Plan emphasizes the importance of collaboration as a core component of its framework and calls upon agencies across the U.S. Government to synergize anti-trafficking efforts at the national level. Multiple agencies and offices within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will work with federal, state, tribal, and local partners; non-government organizations; and private sector stakeholders to strengthen prevention, protection, and prosecution efforts on human trafficking.